Local businesses along Pacific Avenue were left picking up the pieces on Sunday after a May Day street party and demonstration turned into a riot on Saturday night. Damages are estimated at $100,000. Police say there were not enough officers on the street to quell the rioters, and help had to be sought from other public safety organizations in the region. According to police spokesman Zach Friend, police were outnumbered 20 to 1 at the height of the riot. After reinforcements showed up it took 20 minutes, he said, to break up the riot.
Local businesses along Pacific Avenue were left picking up the pieces on Sunday after a May Day street party and demonstration turned into a riot on Saturday night. Damages are estimated at $100,000. Police say there were not enough officers on the street to quell the rioters, and help had to be sought from other public safety organizations in the region. According to police spokesman Zach Friend, police were outnumbered 20 to 1 at the height of the riot. After reinforcements showed up it took 20 minutes, he said, to break up the riot.
Organizers didn’t have a permit for the event, described as a rally in various anonymous fliers. It turned into a riot late Saturday night when 200 hundred demonstrators started throwing rocks and smashing store windows. Most of the targets were chain stores like Urban Outfitters and Jamba Juice, and participants said they were “sending a message” to large corporations. There were, however, some local shops that were also vandalized, including Velvet Underground.
The fact that some people armed with spray paint dabbed the anarchist circle-A symbol on the walls seems to indicate that some kind of violent outburst was planned by the organizers from the very beginning of the event. Nevertheless, only one person, Jimi Haynes, 24, of Fresno, was arrested. Police say they saw Haynes throw a rock through the window of the Dell Williams Jewelry store. What Haynes probably did not realize is that the store is owned by the family into which Santa Cruz Vice Mayor Ryan Coonerty married.
Haynes now faces felony vandalism and parole violation charges. Several more arrests are expected. Read more at ABC7, KSBW and Fox35.
